The Wedding Crasher
by umpcai
Summary: Phoebe's marriage to Coop doesn't go according to plan.
1. Uninvited

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Charmed.

**The Wedding Crasher**

**Uninvited**

_The future isn't set in stone. Destiny can be altered. And sometimes it can all change with something as simple as the discovery of an uninvited wedding guest... _

"I now pronounce you Cupid and wife," the Angel of Destiny recited the final words of the ceremony. "You may kiss the bride."

Coop leaned toward his new bride, while she stood on her toes under the white gown to reach his tall frame. The two sealed their vows with a sweet kiss.

Interrupted by the cheers of her family, the small group gathered in the Halliwell manor, Phoebe pulled away from her new husband. She looked around at her loved ones. The ghosts of her mother and Grams, along with her beloved oldest sister, Prue, all back just for her wedding, smiled proudly and silently mouthed their Congratulations. Then, the trio was pulled back "up there" in a swirl of bright, white lights. Hiding her disappointment that the Elders wouldn't let them stay any longer, Phoebe moved her glance to her crying father and she smiled brightly. Her big sister Piper and her family caught Phoebe's eye next, followed by her baby sister Paige and her husband. Family friend Billie Jenkins also smiled Phoebe's way, before leaving the room, tears in her eyes. A joyous wedding was too much for the girl to handle when the pain of losing her own sister to evil was still so raw.

Phoebe allowed a frown to mar her glowing face for a second. Her and her sisters had tried to save both Billie and Christy from the evils of the magical world, but the latter was just too far gone. Still, it was awful that Billie had ended up vanquishing her own flesh and blood, especially after spending so many years trying to find the kidnapped girl. Billie had been avoiding the Charmed Ones since the incident six months ago, but had shown up for Phoebe's happy day. Hopefully, with a bit more time, she would learn to move forward with her life, remembering the good times with her sister, though they had lasted only for a few years, instead of the bitter end. Phoebe slightly shook her head; she'd had to do that after her relationship with Cole, and it had taken three years and help from her very own Cupid to even start remembering the good.

"Phoebe?"

She returned her glance to Coop, putting thoughts of her ex out of her mind, "Yeah?"

He grinned and offered her his hand, "Are you ready to walk back down the aisle, Mrs. Halliwell?"

"Of course, Mr... do Cupids even have a last name?" Phoebe laughed, accepting his offer and his hand.

"Actually, no. You know, I never really thought of that before. I guess I'll have to take... yours. Uh, Phoebe, are you listening to me?"

She wasn't. Phoebe hadn't heard Coop answer her question. Before he'd even opened his mouth, she'd been distracted. Catching a glimpse, from the corner of her eye, of a suit that wasn't there before and the glimmer of a familiar feeling, Phoebe had immediately turned her head towards the Conservatory's doorway. She could've sworn she saw deep blue eyes that could see through to her soul. She could've sworn she saw...

"Phoebe, what's wrong! Phoebe, answer me!" Coop grabbed her shoulders, worried. She didn't seem to have heard anything that was going on around her for the past five minutes. She hadn't heard his calls. He followed her stare to the other side of the room, but saw nothing.

"Is it a premonition? What do you see?" Piper anxiously asked. They hadn't had to perform their witch duties of fighting demons but several times since the Ultimate Power was overthrown, and Piper was, quite frankly, enjoying the normal life she'd wanted for so long. But, she couldn't ignore Phoebe's stance, the one she took when receiving some vision of the future or past. Maybe she was seeing that her predicted daughter was going to be born, now that she'd found love?

Piper's question barely registering, Phoebe slowly shook her head, her eyes still rooted to the same spot.

"Phoebe?" Coop asked again. She'd heard Piper. Was she coming around?

"If it's not a premonition, then what's wrong, Sweetie?" questioned Paige, stepping out of Henry's embrace and motioning for him, Leo, and Victor to back off so Phoebe could have some breathing room. "Phoebe?"

And she whispered one word, more to herself than her sister, "Cole..."


	2. Reactions

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Charmed.

**Reactions**

Coop's hands dropped as he stepped away from his bride. Piper's eye's widened and she ignored Leo's quick glance, pushing her children toward their father and shooing the three out of the room. Henry caught his wife as she stumbled back, clearly not expecting the name her sister had just uttered. Victor's face hardened as a thousand memories of his daughter's pain ran through his head.

Phoebe snapped out of her reverie, noticing the loss of warmth on her shoulders and all the motion around her, finally realizing what she said aloud. She looked for Coop and saw that he now stood at the back of the group. Even without the empathy power she had yet to regain, Phoebe could sense his pain. She wanted to say something, anything, to get rid of that look in his eyes. But, how do you tell your husband that you dreamed up another man not ten minutes after you vowed to love and cherish him forever? How do you say that you wish it _wasn't_ a dream? How can you even think that on your wedding day?

Paige saved Phoebe from having to answer her own questions. She, once again, stepped away from her spouse, approaching her pensive half-sister. "Phoebe, Honey, uh, wha... what did you just say? I mean, I think I must have something in my ear. I heard you wrong." Paige sighed, looking at Coop for a second, "You didn't just say Cole, did you, Phoebe?"

Phoebe turned her head from the group's inquisitive stares. "Can I talk to you guys upstairs, Piper, Paige?" Without waiting for an answer, she walked toward the stairwell. She had to get away from Coop; she had to figure out what just happened. Her siblings, her best friends would help her sort everything out. Though a bit biased against Cole, they knew her. And they knew she loved Coop. They'd talk, she'd vent. It was perfectly normal to remember your first wedding at your second. It was logical. You'd think about how this one would end in happily ever after, unlike the last.

Phoebe paused for a second, halfway up the stairs. But, was it perfectly normal to think of your proposal and wish it had taken place under a shower of green goo? To think of your acceptance and see a bloody tuxedo in a church? To look at your dress and wish it was the other one? To look at your engagement ring and wish it had been slid on your finger before a potentially life-threatening battle? Was it normal to look at your groom and wish he was a blue-eyed half-demon who'd fought against his very nature to be with you?

Phoebe suppressed a bitter laugh. _A nature you threw back in his face and then murdered him for, _she thought.

"Pheebs?"

She looked back at Piper and Paige. They'd caught up with her. Without saying anything, Phoebe continued to walk to her old room.

"Who's Cole?" Henry asked once the women had left the room.

"The demon that continues to hurt her almost four years after his vanquish. I wish the girls could summon him, so _I_ could kill him," Victor answered with an unforgiving voice.

Henry looked at him, "What?"

"He's Phoebe's ex-husband," Coop spoke for the first time since Phoebe's statement.

"I thought that was Dex?"

"Cole was before Dex," Coop took a seat.

"How many times has she been... Wait! Phoebe married a demon? Aren't they the bad guys?"

"Yes," Victor bit out between clenched teeth.

"He was a good half-demon. Fell in love with Phoebe after over a hundred years of being evil and switched sides for her, even let his demonic side be stripped. They were together for a couple years, before he was possessed by the Source of All Evil. They were never able to work it out after. He went crazy and killed a couple of innocents. The Charmed Ones killed him- in an alternate reality, so he doesn't exist anywhere anymore. Phoebe buried all the good times with him, all her feelings for him. She was bitter for a long time. I think she's past that now. I helped her knock that protective shield around her heart down. I guess our wedding made Phoebe think of theirs," Coop explained emotionlessly.

"What are you going on about? What about the part where he broke Phoebe's heart? What about the fact that he tried to kill my daughters more times than I care to count? What about his being **evil**?" Victor ranted.

Coop shrugged.

Henry looked on, getting more confused by the minute.

"What is wrong with you?" Victor asked, more than a little upset. "Don't you wish he had bones you could dig up and burn? Phoebe's your wife! You got married just a few minutes ago! Why are you not more angry, or sad, or _something_, that she said _his_ name after your wedding?"

Coop stood up, looking his father-in-law in the eye, "I'm a Cupid. I am Love personified. I am the look in her eyes when she said his name."

Coop vanished within a heart before the tears could roll down his face.


	3. Discoveries

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Charmed. The song Rose Bouquet is by Phil Vassar.

**Discoveries**

Coop sat down on his and Phoebe's shared bed after he materialized in her loft. He had moved in several months ago. The two had gotten serious, and with the future knowledge of an upcoming wedding, living together had seemed like the next logical step. After the wedding, and a long honeymoon, Coop and Phoebe were supposed to go back to their home and start a family. The little girl Phoebe had seen in a vision years before was presumably going to be his.

He stood up with a sigh, wiping the tears from his eyes. None of that was going to happen anymore. As much as he loved her, Coop wouldn't be second place in her heart. He couldn't handle it. He may be a Cupid, but he had never found love for himself until Phoebe. He wanted her to love him just as fully as he loved her. But that wasn't possible. Even though her ex was now nonexistent and therefore she would never leave him for the guy, at least not physically, Phoebe wasn't ready for a marriage to someone else. In heart and spirit, Cole would always be her soul mate. Not necessarily meant to end up with her, but definitely her greatest love. Like he'd told Henry, Coop had helped destroy the protective barrier around her heart. And now that she was finally facing the past and ready to let love in again, she apparently wanted that love to be Cole's. Coop shook his head.

He wasn't a Cupid for nothing. And although he couldn't get a read off of any relationship involving a demon because technically they weren't supposed to ever be in love, Coop knew, Coop was, Love. And he had both eyes and ears. There was no mistaking the emotion in Phoebe's voice or the passion in her eyes when she'd finally answered him back at the manor, answered him with the name of her demon ex-husband.

Coop would let her go. He'd offer Phoebe an annulment.

_I saw you staring at each other. _

_I saw your eyes begin to glow._

_And I could tell you once were lovers._

_You ain't hiding nothing I don't know._

_There's an old flame burning in your eyes that tears can't drown and make- up _

_can't disguise._

_Now that old flame might not be stronger, _

_But it's been burning' longer than any spark I might have started in your eyes._

Coop looked up as the song started to play on the radio he'd turned on at his arrival. _Isn't that fitting?_ He thought dryly. He started to turn it off, but changed his mind halfway to the stereo. Turning around, he headed to the closet instead. He grabbed a suitcase, throwing it, open, onto the bed. Then he started pulling out his clothes and haphazardly stacking them in the bag. He listened to the heartrending music with half an ear as he worked.

_You said it ended when he left you. _

_You say your love for me is strong._

_But those old memories still upset you. _

_And I might be a memory before too long._

_There's an old flame burning in your eyes that tears can't drown and make- up _

_can't disguise._

_Now that old flame might not be stronger, _

_But it's been burning' longer than any spark I might have started in your eyes._

Lost in his own thoughts, Coop was startled by the crash he heard several moments later. Looking at the floor, he realized his hand must have accidentally knocked down the box that was lying there in his haste to rid the space of his belongings. Hopefully, Phoebe didn't have anything breakable in there.

Bending down to pick up the fallen items, Coop realized that he had never noticed the cardboard cube before, as it must have been shoved to the back of the closet. Moving it out of the way, his fingers encountered the dark material of a man's dress shirt. It wasn't his and Coop realized right then that he should shove everything back in the box and put it on the shelf again, out of his line of vision. Then, he could finish packing, talk to Phoebe, and return to his job of finding love for others. And, with a bit of luck, he'd be able to find a real love, one that could last, for himself.

But curiosity and the feeling that he already knew who's shirt it was caused Coop to probe longer. He discovered pictures of a smiling couple, another shirt- light blue this time, a jewelry box containing not only an engagement ring but also two wedding bands, a couple despairing, apologetic love letters, what looked like a page torn from the Halliwell Book of Shadows that was covered with descriptions and more pictures, and various other mementos of a relationship once thriving and a man long dead.

Coop sat back, disbelieving. Phoebe may not have consciously faced her past with Cole until recently, but, subconsciously, she must have held onto his love, buried it in a box she probably hadn't looked inside of for almost four years. It was a box she'd more than likely made herself forget existed, though some part of her remembered enough to take it with her when she moved all those months ago.

Coop had to restrain the tears that were once again threatening to fall. He'd _never_ stood a chance with her.


	4. Revelations

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Charmed.

**Revelations**

"So? Did you or did you not say Cole's name down there?" Paige asked sitting on the chair in a corner of the room Phoebe had once occupied. Piper hadn't got a chance to turn it into a toy room for her children yet, so the original furniture was all still there. Paige ran a hand across her stomach, looking expectantly at the newly married Halliwell.

"Yes," Phoebe murmured, looking at the ground as she took a seat next to Piper on the bed. "It's just," she continued speaking before one of her sisters could react, "I... I could swear that I saw him, just for a second. But, still..."

"What do you mean you _saw_ him? That's-"

"Impossible? I know, Paige. I know it's impossible. Cole's dead. No, he's more than dead. He doesn't exist at all anymore. I made sure of that. I drove him crazy with rejection. I made him want to kill himself. I turned him right back to evil. I forced him to create an alternate world. I all but actually through the vanquishing potion at him. But, not to worry, my alternate self took care of that part for me. I-"

"Phoebe," Paige interrupted Phoebe's rambling, "You're not actually blaming yourself for everything that happened with Cole, _are_ you? He was evil! Nothing that happened was your fault. I can't believe you're even suggesting that."

"I didn't say _everything_ was my fault. But, come on, when he was the Source, you were the only one who was willing to face it. I noticed the changes in him, but I made myself believe it was just because he was adjusting to life without powers. I couldn't face the fact that something else was going wrong, not after everything that he and I had been through. And, then I vanquished him."

"We had to vanquish him, Phoebe. He was the Source of All Evil, for crying out loud!"

"He was possessed by the Source of All Evil. There's a difference. And if I had been willing to just face the facts sooner, I may have been able to save him."

"Fine, he was _possessed_," Paige relented. "But, what about when he came back? How do you figure _that_ was your fault?"

"Cole had been a demon for over a hundred years. We never should've let his demonic half be vanquished. That made him lose half of himself and left a void for the Source to invade. But, when he got out of the Wasteland, he had powers. He was complete again. I should've understood that. But, I was still so angry at myself, at him... at everything. So, I told him the powers made him evil. And, I pushed him away. I didn't help guide him or even believe in his ability to remain good. I convinced myself that I didn't love him and was a complete jerk to him. I rubbed other guys in his face. Told him I loathed him. But, I was the only reason he'd turned back to good, and just two years of doing it wasn't enough to overcome a century of evil and a demonic heritage, not without my believing in him and helping him. He killed that first innocent trying to protect me from exposure. It was the wrong thing for the right reasons."

"That doesn't make the action right," the youngest witch argued, "And he killed several innocents after that landlord guy for no reason, two just because they interrupted his drink."

"I'm not excusing him. But, I _did_ drive him to all those crazy acts. I'd told him that I would always love him and that nothing would ever change it. But my fear did. And, then, god, Paige do you know the last thing I said to him? I told him that I'd felt nothing when I thought he'd been absorbed into the ground with the Nexus. I told him I'd never look back, never even think of all the good times we'd had. The next day I killed him."

"That wasn't you. And, Sweetie, I understand. Really, I do. I know you loved him. But, you've moved on. It's been four years since Cole's vanquish. You shouldn't still feel guilty. Just let him go."

"Coop took me to revisit my past relationships, did you know? I saw the day Cole and I met, and I saw the day I murdered him. Other world me or not, I threw the potion. And that was the worst vanquish I've ever seen. The day I killed the love of my life."

Paige stood up, shooting a glance at a strangely silent Piper, before stopping in front of Phoebe, "I really wish you would stop saying _I_. We all got rid of him. He'd become a threat and we stopped him. Or rather me and a different Phoebe and Piper stopped him. I get that seeing that vanquish for the first time, brought up some painful memories. And it was a gruesome vanquish. But, honestly, I can't say I regret it. What I do regret is how hurt you were by the whole ordeal. And I hate seeing you cry right now. But, we can't change the past. If you're still in pain over Cole, though, let Piper and I help you deal, OK? But, first, Phoebe, if you saw him, does that mean he's alive again. I didn't see him. But, if he is-"

"You want to kill him again? That's what I tried to do right after he came back last time. Without cause. Without him doing a thing but loving me."

"Phoebe-"

"No, I know you mean well, that you're just trying to protect me. But, I can't face killing him again."

"So, you're saying he's alive?"

"No. That's not possible. You know it's not. You've said it. I'm sure I just, I imagined him, or something. But that's not why I wanted to talk to you guys. I can't figure out why I would imagine Cole while I'm marrying Coop. Did you see Kyle, Paige, or, Piper, did you see Dan when you got married. Is it just normal to picture your ex for like comparison?"

"I don't know who Dan is and I can't speak for Ms. Silent over there, but, Honey, I never even thought of Kyle. I mean, sure he crosses my mind sometimes. I really cared for him. But, I'm so madly in love with Henry. All I saw at our wedding was my groom."

As Phoebe's face paled, Paige rushed on, "But, it's different for you. You were actually married to Cole. And you only pictured him once. So, I'm sure it-"

"I pictured Cole at every part of the ceremony. But, I didn't let myself focus on it. I wanted to think of Coop."

"At every part?" Paige repeated.

Phoebe nodded. "Why would I do that?"

"Maybe because you're still in love with him?" Piper finally spoke.

Phoebe was taken aback. She knew her and her sisters were all really in tune with each other, but wasn't she supposed to be the empathic one? It _was_ one of _her_ powers; albeit, dormant again. _'Not that Piper's right,'_ she thought hurriedly. _'I can't love Cole. I love Coop.'_

"You're crazy, Piper. I mean, yeah, I'm finally facing everything that happened to us, and I do feel at least partly responsible, and I still do think Cole was the love of my life." She let out a breath, "And, it does still hurt. But I love Coop now. I'm married to Coop."

"You didn't say no to my question."

"I was married by the Angel of Destiny, Piper! I think that pretty much guarantees I'm with who I'm meant to end up with. And you heard Wyatt when he and Chris came back from the future. He said _Uncle Coop_."

"Maybe your destiny was to marry Coop, but not stay with him. And you know the future is always changing. But, you still haven't negatively answered my question."

"When the future changed last time, your sons came back to fix it."

"That was because Wyatt lost his powers. Phoebe-"

"No! I can't love him, OK! He's gone. I wanted him out of my life and he is! I f I admit that now," Phoebe began to sob, "If I admit that now, I'll never get over it. And I can never have him back, so what does it matter! Do you want me to always hurt?"

Piper looked stung. "Of course not! I only want you to be happy. And if you don't really love Coop-"

Phoebe angrily rubbed the tears from her eyes. "Stop saying that! I _love_ Coop! And if you don't mind, I'm going to go talk to my new husband. We still have final plans to make for our honeymoon!" She stomped out of the bedroom.

Paige turned to Piper, "She answered your question with can't. She never said didn't."

"I know. Because, although she thinks she's faced it and moved on, she hasn't. Reflecting on the past, feeling guilty, accepting it, even moving on, none of that erases her feelings."

"She is still in love with Cole," Paige realized. "Which means things probably aren't gonna go so well with the Cupid. Is she trying to catch up to Grams with those failed marriages or what?"

Piper didn't laugh at Paige's attempt to lighten the mood. She knew she was about to admit what she had been trying so hard to hide for more than a year. But it was time. It ma not change the circumstances, but now that she knew Phoebe felt the same, maybe they could both get some closure. "The sad thing is that he still loves her, too."

Paige stopped smiling. "Excuse me?"

"Cole exists, Paige. He still exists."


	5. Aftershock

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Charmed.

**Aftershock**

"What?"

"He's not alive. But, he does technically exist. He's stuck in a limbo, where he can see and hear Phoebe, but not be with her. It's like the ultimate punishment for him. Plus, he's _too_ good for 'down there', but _not good enough_ for 'up there'."

"Woah, wait, Piper! What are you talking about? How do you even know this?"

"He was the 'old friend' that helped me out when I went into a coma after being attacked by the thorn demons. And, I think he was the one who sent Drake to help Phoebe believe in love. That was kind of his reason for making _me_ believe in love."

Paige stared at her big sister in shock, her brown eyes getting even bigger. "Are you kidding me? How could you call _him_ a friend? And, why are you just now telling me this?"

"I didn't want to re-open old wounds before, but since Phoebe saw him-"

"So she really did see him?"

"I think so. There was this moment, when I was in limbo with him, that he quoted Shakespeare to Phoebe, telling her how beautiful she is. It was as if she heard him. She looked straight at him. So, since they do seem to still have that intense connection, maybe, if he did watch her wedding from his plane, she would be able to see him, too. At least for a second."

"He can watch us? What if he tries to come back and kill us again? What if-"

"Paige, you really have to calm down. You're only five months along. We don't want the twins joining us before they're ready."

Sitting down on the bed, Paige placed a hand on her rounded belly. "You're right. But, could you please tell me why the heck you're so calm about this?"

"I don't think he wants to come back. He still loves her but I think he's accepted his fate and is content to live out eternity there. I think Cole feels he deserves it because of his past."

"He does!"

"You weren't there when Cole became a part of this family, Paige. I don't think you were as hurt by what happened with the Source and everything. And, I think he felt the same way about you. That's why he always targeted you more. But, I forgave him along time ago. And I agree with Phoebe that what happened wasn't all his fault. And, he's sorry, anyway. I truly think he's remorseful. You have to let go of this grudge."

"Sorry. I'm still too angry at everything he did to Phoebe, to me."

"I understand," Piper shrugged. "But you're gonna have to work on that because I think we should call him for Phoebe. They need to talk. They both need closure, if nothing else. I'm going to write a summoning spell to call a soul out of limbo."

"Coop? Coop are you here?"

There was a pause before, "In here."

Phoebe headed to her bedroom. "Hi, sorry about before. Post-wedding cold-feet, I guess. So, about our hone..." Her sentence trailed off as Coop came into view. He was sitting on their bed, a suitcase next to him and an opened cardboard box on the floor at his feet. "Where did you get that?" Phoebe whispered.

"When I was grabbing my clothes out of the closet to pack, it fell."

"Why, why were you packing?"

"Because I'm leaving. You haven't given your whole heart to me and I can't take any less. It hurts too much. I'll speak to the Angel of Destiny about making our marriage null and void. It shouldn't be too hard to do."

"An annulment? That's crazy. I've given you, and only you, my entire heart. I love you, Coop. I know I hurt you when I said Cole's name like that, but it didn't mean anything, I swear. I really am ready to let him go."

Coop shook his head, "Are you trying to convince me or yourself?"

Avoiding the question, Phoebe turned her attention back to the box at her husband's feet. "Did you look in it?"

"Everything spilled out. I had to pick it up."

"I want you to put it back where it came from."

Coop pulled Phoebe down next to him. He took her hands in his. "Listen, Phoebe. I was really hurt when I realized the feelings attached to his name when you said it. No, don't interrupt. I never read those feelings before in you. I only read your love for me. It didn't even cross my mind to suspect that you still cared that much for him and the only reason I couldn't see it was because it was a love involving a demon, which I can't get reads off of. Heck, even when I did hear it, I still thought that it was only a recent development that you realized you were still in love with him. When I found that box... you have no idea how much pain I experienced finding out that your subconscious had never stopped loving him. The recent development turned out only to be a conscious one because I helped get rid of that shield you'd put up after him."

"I don't wanna hurt you."

"I know," Coop assured her, wondering if she noticed that she hadn't denied still loving Cole. "But, see, I've been thinking since I found it. I know that I'll always love you, but you're not ready to be in love with me, or anyone else for that matter. You've been blocking him out for so long that you haven't really mourned him. You haven't made the decision to take the love the two of you had, have, with you to the next part of your life, to a happily ever after. It's okay to bring him with you. And, someday someone will be okay with sharing your love. It's just not me. I don't have experience in actually having a relationship and I just can't handle it. You weren't meant to have that happy ending with me. I really am here just to help you move on. I think you need to completely face the past, more so than you already have, in order to do that. You haven't looked in that box since you packed away have you? And I'm assuming that was after his first vanquish, after his possession."

"What does it matter?" Phoebe refrained from looking at the said object. "Cole is dead."

"But your feelings for him aren't."

She looked at the box, but only for a moment, before she turned back to Coop. "Why are you doing this? We were married by an Angel of Destiny. _We_ are destined to be."

"Maybe we were, Phoebe. At least, I'd like to believe we were. But _were_ is the operative word. The second you dreamed of him at our wedding, we were destined to fail."

"So it's my fault! I can't help who I'm in love with, Coop!"

"You're admitting you're still in love with him? Isn't that what I've been trying to tell you?"

Phoebe faltered, "What? No, I never said that."

"You know, Phoebe, pain is a part of life. We need the bad times in order to have the good. I know it hurts dealing with it, but you have to, or you'll never go on happily."

"What if I don't want to go on without him?" Immediately after she said it, Phoebe clapped a hand over her mouth. She had not meant to say that.

"Who knows? Maybe you won't have to. Magic is a very powerful thing."

"He doesn't exist." _As much as I wish he did_.

"Just look in the box, Honey. Just admit it and strive for your happiness. You deserve it."

She glanced at it again. "Are you gonna go through it with me. I might need the support."

"No, I think I'll let you do this one on your own. I've done my part in pointing you the right way. I think I got a bit over-involved last time," Coop answered with a wry smile. "Look in the box. I'll call after I speak with the Angel."

Phoebe slowly crawled to her knees on the ground. With shaky hands, she lifted out of the box a dark blue shirt that Cole had worn on many of their nights out. It had been one of his favorites. She lifted it to her face and breathed in the scent. _How can it still smell like him after all this time?_ she thought with a wistful smile.

Coop surprised even himself by giving a genuine smile to Phoebe's back. She would be okay. And, like he'd said, you never knew with magic. Maybe she would get to be with who she really wanted after all. And if she didn't, at least she'd be able to use their love to find a new happiness. He was about to vanish from the room when he heard her softly say his name. Looking back at her, Coop saw that Phoebe now held a framed picture of herself and Cole, lovingly gazing into each other's eyes. The two's wedding bands and her engagement ring were available for his sight, too, as their cases lay open beside her.

"I'm sorry," was all she said. And he knew that she was. A red heart started to glow over Coop's chest as he faded out in a white swish.


	6. Summoning

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Charmed.

**Summoning**

"Come on, Sweetie, please eat the oatmeal," Piper cooed to her youngest child, two year old Chris. "Look," she pointed to the toddler's older brother, "Wyatt likes his oatmeal. Don't you, Wyatt? It's good, right?"

Wyatt orbed his oatmeal to the floor. "That's _not_ good, Mommy," he stated.

Piper let out an exasperated sigh. Then, she reached for a rag to wipe up her son's mess. She ended up blowing up the microwave, however, when she heard the jingling behind her. Startled, she jumped before turning around to face her baby sister. "Paige! Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry. Orbing doesn't exactly allow for knocking, though. Besides, I always orb in. What's with you?"

"Wyatt and Chris won't eat their food, Wy made a mess, and Phoebe was going with Coop to finalize their annulment today with the Angel of Destiny-"

"Yeah, a three day marriage. I think that's even less than the one with Dex, isn't it?"

"I don't know. The point is I'm just worried about her. And, then, I finished the spell so I guess I'm just nervous about that- you know Phoebe's reaction and if it's even gonna work. Speaking, of which, I think we ought to perform it this morning. I know Phoebe's planning to stop by later and I want to be able to tell her then, hopefully adding the part where he's gonna be able to talk with her for a while."

"Did you really have to remind me about that? I'm hoping it works for Phoebe's sake, but I'm in no way happy about it."

"Yes, you've made that very clear the last couple days. So, I'm grateful that you're willing to help. I think the spell has a better chance of working if we both say it- two-thirds of the Charmed Ones."

"Yeah, yeah. Are you sure that's all that's bothering you? Because you've been jumpy for a couple of weeks now. And, when you and I fought that demon yesterday, you totally blew flowers around his head, instead of blowing his head up."

"You noticed?" Piper said, aghast. It had happened so quickly, and Paige had been checking on their innocent, so she'd assumed no one saw. After all, her explosive power worked the next time around. The demon was vanquished seconds later.

"Of course I saw it. I'm not blind. And, if I recall correctly, the last time your powers wacked out like that was when you were pregnant with Wyatt."

Piper narrowed her eyes, "Just what are you implying?"

"Oh, come on, Piper! I remember my first trimester; it was only a couple months ago, you know. My powers were totally screwed up. I kept orbing in and out of Henry's office. Practically gave my dear husband a heart attack every time. He was so worried that someone was gonna notice. Of course they didn't. But, Piper, roses popping out when you try to blow something up- that's in no way an advancement of your powers. You, Sister, are pregnant! Admit it!"

"Fine, I admit it. I only found out yesterday afternoon. The flower thing made me suspect, so I went to the doctor. But, I wanted to tell Leo first. And, I figured I'd wait until this whole thing with Phoebe died down."

"Oh, I knew it!" Paige hugged her sister.

"Knew what?" Leo asked entering the kitchen.

Piper gave Paige a silencing look, before smiling at her husband. She stood on her toes to kiss him. "I'll tell you later, Ok, Honey? For now, can you clean up the boys and the floor? Paige and I have a spell to recite."

As Piper exited, Paige's smile turned upside down. She reluctantly followed Piper to the attic.

Leo looked to Wyatt and Chris, "What's say we get you guys all clean and then I'll read you a story."

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Piper?" Paige asked after she had formed a circle of six candles in the middle of the Halliwell's attic. "Matches. Light." She said, using her magical orbs to place flames onto each one.

"We already discussed this. Cole does not want to kill us, Paige. Just trust me."

"I don't mean that. What if, after we tell Phoebe and after they talk, she decides she doesn't want just closure? What if she wants to find a way to resurrect him?"

"Well, if she does, then I'll support her. I don't know how it would be possible, but if Phoebe wants to try, I'll help her succeed in any way I can."

"It would probably take a Power of Three spell," Paige grumbled.

Piper looked up from tweaking her spell. Phoebe was the master at this part of their witchcraft. Piper's place was in the kitchen making potions. But, Phoebe couldn't know what they were attempting to do yet. So, her rhyming skills would have to do. "We can't force you to do something you don't want to, Paige."

"Yeah, accept for the whole majority rules thing. Besides, I want Phoebe happy, too. I'll have to go along with it."

"Your choice, Sweetie."

"But, I don't want him to come back!"

"We don't even know if that's what Phoebe wants, or if Cole would even let her. Let's just wait and see what happens before you get upset," Piper advised.

"I at least have to see him today, though. That's why this day already stinks," pouted Paige.

Piper hid her smile. "The spell's as ready as it's ever gonna be. I just hope it works. You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Paige said, joining hands with Piper.

The two read from the small piece of paper in Piper's hand.

_Magic forces, black and white,_

_We call to you on this day before night._

_His soul is stuck, hers is in muck._

_To heal their hearts, bring us he, _

_The one to whom Phoebe gave her heart's key. _

A hard wind blew through the attic, extinguishing the flame upon each candle. The two Charmed Ones covered their eyes from the blast. When it ended, they looked up. Expecting to see their former brother-in-law, they were shocked at the emptiness the circle still held.

"I don't get it," Piper paced around the candles. "That should've worked."

"Maybe that means she took the key back?" Paige asked hopefully.

"I doubt it. She was supposed to, but from what I've heard she never did."

"Piper, your voice just got a whole lot deeper. And you just gained an Australian accent."

"Not me," Piper replied.

"Now I'm offended. You can't have forgotten me already, Paige."

She spun toward the front window. "Hardly. Though, believe me, I'm working on it."

Cole Turner grinned, his blue eyes mischievous. He was leaning against the wall on the far side of the attic, his arms crossed in front of him. "It's nice to see you again, too."

"Don't make me sick. And weren't you supposed to appear, oh, I don't know, in the circle? That's the rules for a summoning."

"Oh, well, you know me and rules. I like to be my own boss. I appeared here myself after I heard your spell."

"How could you appear by yourself? You told me you didn't have any powers. That you weren't demon, ghost, or poltergeist," Piper reminded him.

"Yeah, but we didn't have much time that day. If I had told you the truth, we would have had to argue about it. I needed you to listen to me right away," Cole explained. "Besides, how I got here has nothing to do with that. I'm a spirit that kept his earthly body, don't ask me how; I don't know. But, I'm unique. So, I can do things other spirits can't- like materialize on other planes for short amounts of time. I teleport there the same way all the other spirits do when summoned or something, though."

Piper shushed Paige's upcoming remark with a wave of her hand. "Fine, you're a unique spirit. But, you said you didn't tell me the truth. So you _are_ still a demon or something?"

"Half-demon."

"I know that," said Piper growing impatient. "It's in your ancestry."

"But it's more than that. I'm sure Paige told you that, when I created that other world, I assumed my Belthazor persona." At Piper's nod, Cole continued. "That's who I was when I was vanquished. Technically, I shouldn't exist anymore at all since it wasn't the real world. But, for some reason I ended up in Limbo, instead. I didn't make a stop at the Demonic Wasteland, though. So..."

"So, you never lost Belthazor's powers?" Piper finished.

"Bingo."

"You what?" Paige yelled, no longer wanting to keep quiet.

"I'm still Belthazor."

"Paige, don't!" ordered Piper. The Whitelighter-witch had begun to orb out.

"You don't even know what I was gonna do."

"Of course I do, grab a knife and make sure we have all the ingredients for a Belthazor vanquishing potion."

"Just as a precaution."

"Um, I'm already dead," Cole reminded the girls.

They seemed to have ignored him, so he mumbled under his breath, "Being ignored by the Halliwell witches, it's just like old times."

"You, shut up," Piper told him. "Paige, you aren't making a potion to re-kill him. In fact, it's redundant."

Paige shook her head fiercely, "Not with him," she declared, pointing at Cole. "He just keeps coming back to life. Again and again and again and-"

"Once," Cole interrupted.

"Whatever," Paige said. "We need insurance."

"I told you to trust him," Piper said.

"That was before he had powers!"

"Did you actually call me here for a reason? Or am I just supposed to watch you fight about killing me, which, I'll remind you again, has already been done."

"Paige, sit. Remember what we talked about. No getting so upset. It isn't good for my nieces."

"She's pregnant! I thought she was just getting fat. Too may lollipops and not enough martial arts skills for exercise."

"You jerk!" Paige yelled at the half-demon.

"I was only kidding. Obviously, you're pregnant. I'm sure everyone within a fifty mile radius from you can tell."

"You call that an apology? Why don't you just bring yourself back to life already so I can kill you again! Hopefully, this time you'll end up rotting in the right place."

"Paige!" Piper tried once again to intervene.

"As much fun as that sounds," Cole said sarcastically, "I'm actually pretty content right where I am. No struggle to be good or evil. I can help lost souls..."

Paige jumped up from the seat she was in, "I don't care!" She turned to Piper, "Will you just tell him why we called, so he can go!"

"I would've told him a long time ago if _certain people _could behave."

"Yeah, Paige's never been good at that."

"I meant both of you," Piper told Cole. "Now, the reason we called was because Phoebe-"

"Feels guilty about me and her marriage to the Cupid is ending before it ever really gets started. I know. I told you I can always feel her pain, so I peeked in. She really shouldn't feel that way, though. She's supposed to find love and be happy. That's all I want for her. If I'd known I would cause her all this misery again, I never would have watched her wedding."

"So, you were there?" Piper asked.

He nodded. "But, after what happened last time, I made sure I didn't make any noise in case she could hear me. I didn't count on her maybe seeing me, too."

"Why would you even want to attend her wedding? Are you some sort of masochist, too now?" Paige asked pointedly. Piper had assured her he wasn't crazy anymore, but the guy still seemed like a nut-job to Paige.

Cole chuckled. "Probably," he shrugged. "I just wanted to see her happy again."

"So, will you talk to her?" asked Piper. "I think maybe she just needs closure. And I'm sure you do, too."

Shaking his head, Cole answered in the negative, "I'm sorry, Piper. I don't want Phoebe lost and I want her happy, but my seeing her will more than likely just make things worse."

"Worse how? She'll want you back?" Paige wanted him to admit that he wanted to come back. Piper had to be wrong about his change.

"You're trying to trap me, I know. But, yes, worse like that. I can't come back, though. It's not possible. And that may hurt her more. I'm where I'm supposed to be. You can tell Phoebe where I am if you want, but you two have to make sure she finds happiness elsewhere."

Piper said, "I don't see why you can't do that. I'm positive it would work better coming from you."

"Color me selfish or even evil, but it still hurts me too, Piper. If I talk to her directly, _I_ may not want to leave, when I know I have to. I won't hurt either of us like that again."

Piper was taken aback, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have tried to force you. I know you still love her and I should've taken into consideration how it would make you feel."

"Thanks, I guess. I'm... sorry about everything, Piper, I really am."

"I know. So, am I."

He smiled a bit and turned to Paige. "I know you still hate me and will more than likely never be able to forgive me- I wouldn't forgive me if I was you- but I'm sorry." He paused, "And I know it won't make any difference and I that I still did many unforgivable things that I can never make up for, but for what it's worth, I never wanted you dead in that other reality. I just didn't want Phoebe to ever have met you. I didn't take into account that it would mean she'd never have had that premonition and therefore never save you from Shax."

Paige bristled, "It's not worth anything." Because even if he hadn't meant to murder her, he _was _purposely trying to keep her from ever having met her sisters. He _knew_ that was the best thing that had happened in her life, until Henry and her little babies-to-be.

"Understandable. I should be...going...now..." Cole's stumbled through the rest of the sentence as he finally noticed that someone was standing in the attic's doorway. Even knowing he ought to leave immediately to save them both the hurt, Cole wasn't able to. He stood, staring transfixed at Phoebe Halliwell, who was staring right back.


	7. Talking

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Charmed.

**Talking**

"Pheebs? You're done with the annulment already?" Piper nervously questioned as she looked back and forth between her sister and ex in-law. This was not good. She'd wanted time to prepare Phoebe for a confrontation with Cole, if he'd agreed to one. But, after his refusal to speak with her, well this just made it even more awkward for everyone.

Phoebe ignored Piper. She'd come directly here after she'd ended her recent marriage in order to spend some quality sister time with Piper and Paige. She wasn't expecting... she'd never even dreamed that he would, that he _could_ be... standing there, in front of her, as corporeal as when she'd last seen him. He had the same tall, strong figure she remembered. He had the same dark hair, the same strong jaw, and she'd heard the smooth flow of his voice. She recalled when she'd lived to hear him whisper words of love into her ear. She noticed that his hands still looked tough, as though they could easily break a man's neck, and she knew they had, but she also knew how gentle they could be when touching her. He'd lost the desperate look in his eyes, though- those deep, clear blue eyes that she'd once upon a time spent endless hours staring into. Those same eyes that she was again staring into. She was incapable of tearing herself from his gaze. Phoebe never thought she would see him again, but as he stood before her, she realized that what she'd told Piper had been true. It hurt. She saw fear (of seeing her again?), regret (she was all too familiar with that emotion), pain, sadness, longing, and love in his eyes. And she knew that he could see the same reflected in her own dark eyes. No words would leave Phoebe's mouth, though she opened it several times.

Cole saw the emotions flicker through her large, chocolate eyes. It was painful, just as he'd told Piper. They hadn't said a thing to each other, but already he didn't want to leave. His eyes roaming over her figure, Cole noticed that, despite the several years of his absence, she still looked just as beautiful as the day she'd informed him of her lack of feeling toward him. He hadn't believed her, but it had still been the most painful moment of his life. Even more painful then having half of himself stripped from his body, more painful then being vanquished by words whispered from her lips or a vial of purple liquid being thrown by another version of her. He'd long since forgiven her, but the hurt wasn't something that went away easily. Unlike the ultimate fear he'd face every time her life was on the line or when her soul had been lost. That fear had been placated once he held her in his arms or at least known of her safety. He'd never been able to get rid of the underlying dread that something else would come after her, but he calmed himself knowing that for the moment she was fine. But, the sting that came with realizing _she didn't want him anymore_ refused to be erased.

And yet, he could still see the desire in her eyes. Maybe if he'd given her the space she'd wanted back then...

"O-K," Paige said slowly to Piper, "this is getting a bit... strange. How long have we been standing here?" She looked at her watch and let out an audible gasp, causing Piper to stop watching the emotions flicker across the faces of Phoebe and Cole and turn to her. "This is like twenty minutes out of my life," she complained. "They're like in a trance. I don't think they're even breathing, well Phoebe anyway, since he doesn't breathe anymore, but-"

"Come on, Paige." Piper took the younger woman by the arm as she moved to the attic door. "We'll let you two talk."

"We'll what!" Paige exclaimed. "We're not even gonna stay and be bodyguards or-"

"Paige, let's go."

"Oh, alright, but I'm coming back in ten minutes if we don't hear anything."

Piper shook her head. "They'll need more time than that to work things out and you know it."

"Work things out? I don't want them to 'work things out'. I want _her_ to get some closure or whatever and _him_ to go back to his lovely, little limbo abode."

As the door shut behind the two, Cole tried once again to remove his gaze from his ex-wife. He was, once again, unsuccessful.

Phoebe, still unable to form a word, much less a sentence, opted for the next best option. Without giving him time to ponder about what she was going to do, Phoebe quickly strode across the floor and embraced her old flame. Her hands moved up his arms as she assured herself of his existence. Only then did she allow the pleasure of circling his waist with her arms and feeling his body, of breathing in his scent to overcome her.

Surprised, it took Cole a moment before he wrapped his own arms around her tiny frame. Phoebe's response was to nuzzle his neck, as she relished in being held by him again.

* * *

Piper leaned back on her bed. She let out a loud sigh.

"How'd it go?" asked Leo, appearing in the doorway.

"Where are the kids?"

"Sleeping. So, what happened?"

"Paige wanted to vanquish him again when he admitted he still has Belthazor's powers. I talked her out of it, for the moment. I'm sure she still wants to, not that it would do anything since he's already dead. He was at Phoebe's wedding, so she wasn't hallucinating. He didn't want to talk to her, though, because it still hurts him, too. I understand that, but when he was about to leave, we noticed Phoebe standing by the door. Who knows how long she was there. Then, Phoebe and Cole just stared at each other. Paige got impatient and started complaining. It's not really our business though, so I dragged her downstairs and then sent her off to Henry's office."

"Wow," Leo commented.

"Yeah."

"So, Cole's still Belthazor?"

"Apparently he never made a stop at the Wasteland to lose him."

"Oh. And Paige is still holding a grudge?"

Shrugging, Piper told him, "I get that he targeted her the most, but..."

She let her previous sentence trail off. "He said he only meant to wipe out our meeting, not her life, in that alternate world he created. I believe him."

"But, Paige doesn't."

"No, I think she believes him. But, she still doesn't trust him. And, she's still extremely angry at him. You know, I told her that his becoming the Source hurt Phoebe and me more than her because she never thought of him as family before that and vice-versa. She never really saw any of his good qualities or his good heart. And then he always aimed the painful parts of his plans at her."

"That's true. He was in love with Phoebe and thought of you as family, too. So, Paige was the obvious choice of someone to hurt."

"And it worked."

Leo glanced to the ceiling, "What do you think will happen with them?"

"You should've seen the way they were looking at each other, Leo. It broke my heart. I wish we could find a way to bring him back, so they could both be happy. But, I just don't know that it's possible."

Leo climbed onto the bed next to her and wrapped his arms around his wife. She smiled, "I wish Phoebe could have the same happiness we do."

Tightening his hold, Leo agreed.

"Hey, Leo?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm pregnant."

The invisible circles he'd been drawing on Piper's arm ceased as he quickly sat up right in bed. "You're what?" he whispered, breathless.

"Baby number three is on the way," Piper repeated with a smile.

"You're kidding!"

When she shook her head, Leo grabbed Piper in a firm hold. "I can't believe it! Honey, that's so great!"

"Isn't it?" she grinned.

* * *

"How long were you standing there?" Cole opened the conversation as he and Phoebe sat on an old couch. They were holding hands and Phoebe was snuggled into his side, refusing to break contact with him, even for a second.

She looked up at him and couldn't help caressing his face, her hand tracing the contours and a finger sliding over his lips as she answered, "Since Paige thought Piper became a man."

"That long, huh? So, you heard... everything?"

She nodded and hugged him tighter. "I'm glad you got Belthazor back. He was a part of you that you never should have lost in the first place."

"He made it harder for me to fight my demonic nature," Cole stated, running his fingers through her brown hair absently.

"Still, they were part of you," she stopped for a moment and tears welled up in her eyes. "God, Cole, I am so sorry. I was so cruel. I-"

He cut her off before she could get any further. "I heard you, in your old room. But, you don't have anything to be sorry for. You-"

This time Phoebe cut him off. "Hurt you," she finished.

"I hurt you, too," he said, his voice thick with regret. "And, you'll never know how sorry I am. I just wish I could make it up to you."

"Same here. I love you, Cole. I always have and I always will. Nothing will ever change that," Phoebe quoted herself, saying the same thing she'd swore many times throughout their rocky relationship. And, as with all the other times, Cole knew it was the truth. "I'm sorry I tried to deny it for so long," she continued.

He smiled, sadly. "I love you, too, Phoebe," he promised before pulling him self, quite reluctantly, out of her arms. Standing before her, he said wistfully, "I'm sorry we never got our happily ever after."

Phoebe scrambled to her feet. "Not yet. But, we will."

"Phoebe-"

"No, I want that. We deserve that. Both of us. Together. I'll get you out of limbo."

"I belong there, Phoebe. You have to let go."

"No," she said forcefully. "We've both made mistakes. We both regret them. But, neither of us deserves a life without love."

"You've had love since me. You'll have love again. A love that will work out. Now, I'm certainly not objecting to your leaving a piece of your heart for me, but I want you to be happy. And, I've finally accepted that it won't be with me."

"It _will_ be with you!" Phoebe said before promptly kissing him. She slid her hands up his chest before clasping her arms around his neck, fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. She moaned as Cole's hands grabbed her waist and pulled her closer, if that was possible, to him and deepened the kiss. Each poured all the love for each other they'd kept bottled up into that one searing kiss.

When Phoebe pulled away, but keeping herself pressed up against him, her eyes were ablaze with a passion that matched his. "I **will** bring you back."


	8. Doubts

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Charmed.

**Doubts**

Phoebe sat in her office at the Bay Mirror trying to write a Power of Three spell to bring her once-again boyfriend back to life. If her boss walked in and noticed that she wasn't working on her advice column, she'd have a fit. But, Elise knew she always had them in on time and that her column was more than just popular around San Francisco, so Phoebe wasn't worried she'd lose her job.

Phoebe put the end of her pen to her lips, thinking hard. It had been several weeks since that fateful day in the attic when she'd found out Cole still existed and became determined to bring him back. Piper had supported her and Paige had reluctantly agreed to help, for Phoebe's sake. They'd already tried several different spells and a potion, but nothing seemed to be working. Limbo appeared to be a resurrection-free zone.

Lost in thought, Phoebe jumped at the white lights that appeared before her, signaling Cole's appearance.

"Sorry. Am I interrupting?"

"'Course not," Phoebe smiled, rising from her chair to give him a kiss. When they broke apart, Phoebe led him to the sofa. "I think I've finally figured out what to do. If we combine a potion and I revise that spell we used last time, I think it'll work. I've got Piper working on the potion today and I'm almost done modifying my rhyme."

"Phoebe, I don't think it'll work. I'm dead. I told you from the beginning, I'm meant to be in limbo. I'm not supposed to come out, no matter how much I want to."

"This time it will work. I know it. And if by some off chance it doesn't, we'll just try something else."

"Maybe we should just accept that we love each other, but shouldn't be together."

Phoebe glared at him, "I really wish you would stop telling me that."

Cole traced the contours of her face with his fingers, soothing her annoyance instantly. "We can't keep this up, Phoebe. My coming to your plane for a couple of hours a day, people thinking you're crazy if they accidentally see you talking to 'air' once my time is up and you're the only one who sees me. It's not healthy. I'm already gone. You need a healthy love. It's ridiculous for you to be tied to a dead guy."

"Piper was married to Leo for years before he became mortal and alive again."

"And look at all the problems they had."

"Not because he was dead. Because he was a Whitelighter. And, you're coming back to life as soon as we can get a solution that works, hopefully the one me and Piper are working on. And, Cole, even if it takes years, I want to be with you. I don't care if everyone thinks I'm crazy or we can't go out in public or if you're only on this plane for a little while. I love you and we're going to make it work this time."

He sighed and looked into her eyes. Then, Cole voiced the lingering doubt in his mind that had really triggered the conversation, "How do you know it'll work?"

Phoebe pulled away, shocked. "Wh... What do you mean? Don't you want it to? If we both want to be together, why wouldn't we make it work?"

"_I _want to. But, are you sure _you_ want to?"

_How could he even ask that?_ Phoebe thought. Sure, she'd been scared at first, but she loved him and she didn't ever want to let him go, not again. "Of course!"

"Really?" Cole asked, pain etched in his face, "Because, honestly, I don't think I could take it if you changed your mind again."

And Phoebe pulled him into a kiss. "I love you. And this time, Baby, I'll listen, to you and myself. I believe in you, in your good heart. I won't give up on you. I won't give up on us. I won't. We've lost a few years, but I'll bring you back and then we'll have eternity, Cole Turner; I swear it."

* * *

"Hand me that root, would you, Paige?"

Grumbling, Paige gave the product to Piper. "How many different things are we gonna try? Because, I'm getting awfully sick of wasting my time trying to bring Cole back to life. Especially, since it's not working."

"If this is how you complain about the trying, I don't want to hear you when it works."

"What makes you think this time will work?"

"Phoebe's pretty confident in this one."

"And she wasn't confident in the last three hundred? When are we going to give up?"

Piper stopped her stirring. "I don't think Phoebe will, at least not anytime soon. Again, you don't have to help, though, if you don't want to."

"She's writing a Power of Three spell. I'm the three."

Turning around to grab a few more ingredients off the shelf, Piper replied, "Why don't you go see if Leo needs any help with the boys? I can finish up here."

Paige shook her head, heading to the refrigerator. "Can't. I'm hungry."

As Piper watched, her little sister pulled ham, pickles, and grape jelly out of the fridge. Then, Paige grabbed the bread and some cinnamon. Placing it all on the counter opposite Piper, she began to make a sandwich.

"That's really gross, Paige. And, what makes it even worse is that I know I'll be craving disgusting things really soon, too."

"This is not gross. That gunk you ate for like three months straight while you were pregnant with Chris, that was gross. This," she pointed to her finished meal, "is very appetizing."

"Uh-huh."

Paige continued, "So, when are we trying this new resurrecting thingie? I want to get it over with until next time."

"This afternoon."

"Great. So, I'm gonna go pay a visit to Henry. Call me when she gets here."

Piper nodded and Paige orbed out.


	9. Resurrection

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Charmed.

**Resurrection**

"Are you guys ready?" Phoebe called as she walked up the attic stairs.

"Yeah, you have the spell?" Piper asked. She was standing near the Book, silently praying that Phoebe would get her wish.

Paige grimaced when Phoebe walked in, nodding her head in answer to Piper's question. Her hand linked with Cole's. "Let's get this horrible show on the road."

"Paige, please," Phoebe pleaded.

"Look, you stand in that circle," Paige motioned to Cole, "And drink this potion Piper made."

Cole took the offered potion, "It's not a vanquishing one, is it?"

"Cole," Phoebe gave him a look.

"Sorry."

But, Paige answered his question anyway, "Does it look purple? And, like you and Piper keep pointing out, it won't do anything." She added as an afterthought, "Unless, this potion and spell combo works, that is."

"Ok," Piper prevented another argument, "Phoebe, where's that spell?"

"Right here."

The trio joined hands and Cole drank from the vial. The Charmed Ones recited Phoebe's spell.

_Another chance is bestowed,_

_On a love we behold._

_Life is renewed, _

_As we call out of Limbo a soul._

Phoebe then chanted, "_The Power of Three will bring him back to me_."

Cole was engulfed in a splash of white light that was gone seconds later. The sisters looked on anxiously as the brightness faded.

"Did it work," Phoebe whispered, hopefully.

"Needle," Paige orbed the object from an old sewing basket a few feet away. Saying his name, she sent the sharp point toward Cole.

"Paige," Phoebe cried.

"It's only a needle. You asked if the spell worked, so I'm showing you."

"It did," Cole said incredulously. He held up the palm of his hand. There were small drops of blood leaking from the pin prick.

"You're bleeding!" Phoebe rushed into his arms. Laying her head on his chest, she smiled, "I can feel your heart beating."

Cole smiled. He was alive. And Phoebe wanted him. He could feel that pain slowly beginning to leave.

Piper smiled, watching the couple. Even Paige had trouble resisting a grin.

* * *

"I can't believe it worked!" Paige told Henry as she orbed onto the counter in their apartment, her legs dangling over the side.

Henry looked up from his dinner, "He's alive?"

"Yes."

"Well, you knew Phoebe was working on making it happen."

"But, I didn't know she'd succeed," Paige complained.

Henry stood up and on his way to the sink gave his wife a kiss, placing his hand on her extended stomach. "I love you," he whispered.

Paige smiled, "I needed that. Love you, too. But, I still can't believe Cole Turner's back in our lives for good."

"Maybe you should try to let go of the past. You don't want to create a rift between you and Phoebe," Henry advised.

"I knew," Paige responded. "And, I do want to forgive him and move on. I mean, aside from being a total pain in the butt, Cole's actually a pretty OK guy. I believe that he's not evil anymore. I believe he's changed and is truly sorry for everything. But, I just, I just can't get past what happened."

"Maybe you should try harder. For Phoebe."

"Maybe."


	10. Happily Ever After

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Charmed.

**Happily Ever After**

"I can't believe I'm marrying a demon into the family," Penny Halliwell said.

Cole had been brought back to life about two months before. He and Phoebe had started out taking things slow- working through old issues, forgiving and trying to forget, and working on communicating. Both were dedicated to making their relationship work this time around. And three weeks ago Phoebe had proposed. She, Cole, and Piper had been out fighting one of the now-scarce demons. Paige, by that time too pregnant to join in trivial fights, had been made to stay under Henry's supervision at the police station. Unexpectedly, when Piper blew up the demon, green blood splattered all over the group. A smile had lit Phoebe's goo-covered face as she turned to Cole and excitedly popped the question. He'd gladly agreed and they'd sealed their second engagement with a lengthy kiss, one that was only interrupted by an impatient, pregnant Piper's hurried congratulations and demand to be shimmered back to her family.

Phoebe had wanted her Grams to preside over this small wedding. So, as soon as the preparations were done, the ghosts of Penny, Patty, and Prue Halliwell had been summoned, along with a surprise guest. Billie and Darryl had sent their congratulations, Darryl's accompanied with surprise at having learned the sisters had resurrected Cole. Both had expressed regret at not being able to make the ceremony. Phoebe's father was also present, a strange mixture of anger and acceptance on his face. Leo was currently seated in one of several chairs before Penny, his two boys on his lap. Henry was also nearby. The Charmed Ones, including Prue, were upstairs helping Phoebe get ready, as was their mother. Cole stood in front of his bride's maternal grandmother, unsure how to take her last statement.

"If you heart my baby girl again," Victor Bennet spoke up threateningly, "I'll be the one to vanquish you this time. And, I won't need a potion or any magical powers to do it." Although, he'd accepted that Phoebe wanted to be with Cole again, Victor was by no means happy about it. But, he was trying because his girls' joy was all that mattered to him.

"I won't hurt her," Cole said solemnly.

"You'd better not," Victor repeated.

* * *

"Wedding number four, Pheebs. I swear you just keep getting closer to Grams."

Phoebe turned away from the mirror to face Paige, "But, this one will be the last."

"I hope so. I'm only giving him another chance for you, but if he hurts you again, I know the vanquishing potion's ingredients by heart."

"Really? You know them, too?" Prue asked.

"Guys, please, forget them. Cole's not gonna hurt me and I'm not gonna hurt him. We're going to be happy together forever."

Prue shrugged her temporarily solid shoulders, "At least I get to be here for the wedding of you and Cole this time." She looked sad for a second, "I wish Andy and I could've had one. "But," she perked up, "at least we're together now and we have forever."

Piper joined in the conversation, having fulfilled her craving, "All of you just better stay happy with your guys. I want you all to have what Leo and I do."

"Listen to your sister, Girls," their mother said. "Be happy."

Patty looked at her four children, all grown up and standing before her. She'd missed so much of their lives, having died shortly after Paige was given up for adoption. Watching them from 'up there' just wasn't the same. She grinned, despite her yearning, as she realized they'd inadvertently stood side by side from eldest to youngest. Proud, strong, take-charge Prue with her long dark hair and bright blue eyes. She was the only one of Patty's children without dark eyes. Her beautiful, oldest baby whose life had ended way too soon, thanks to the legacy her family had passed down.

Piper was next. Sensitive, but temperamental and caring Piper, married to her very own former Guardian Angel and pregnant with her third child. She had a successful nightclub and was already working on plans to open the restaurant she'd always dreamed of in a few more years.

Phoebe, her last child by Victor, had a popular advice column and was marrying her one true love today. Despite her rocky start into adulthood, she had made something spectacular of herself. She'd had heartbreak and pain, but she was finally really happy. Patty could see it in the way her face was so radiant.

And Paige. Paige was Sam and hers miracle. Born of a forbidden love and having to face the pain of losing her adoptive parents before finding her sisters, Paige was now married and having twin baby girls in just a few more weeks. Her dark hair curled over her shoulders as she lightly rubbed her large front.

Patty couldn't be more proud. She drew her girls into a hug that all savored.

She turned to Phoebe and held out her hand, "Let's go get you married now, shall we?"

* * *

Though being married by her dead witch grandmother, Phoebe had wanted a traditional wedding, not the hand-fasting ceremony Grams had done for Piper.

"Do, you, Cole Turner, take my precious granddaughter to be your wife? Do you promise to love and cherish her in sickness and health as long as you both shall live and more? Do you promise to forsake all others, staying true only to her? Do you promise to never again stray to the dark side, to never again become evil?"

"Grams!" Phoebe whispered harshly.

"What? If it's in his vows he has to listen doesn't he? Of course, that didn't stop my fifth husband from having a little playmate. That's why I turned him into a toad- a little cliché', but it got the job done."

"Mom, why don't we just move the ceremony along," Patty suggested. She wasn't sure if her mother was serious about the toad thing or not. It would've been personal gain, which is taboo for good witches, but with Penny Halliwell you just never knew. She could've found a way around the rules.

Penny rolled her eyes and continued, "Do you, Cole, take Phoebe to be your wife?"

"I do."

"And, you, Phoebe Halliwell, do you take Cole Turner to be your husband? Do you promise to love and cherish him in sickness and health as long as you both shall live and more? Do you promise to forsake all others, staying true only to him?"

"I do."

"Then, by the powers I've invested in me, I now pronounce you Demon and Witch." When Patty fixed her eyes on her mother, Penny corrected herself, "I mean Husband and Wife. You may kiss the bride."

As Phoebe and Cole sealed their vows with a kiss bursting of love, the family surrounding them clapped wildly.

"Ok, Ok, break it up, you two," Prue called, rising to her feet when the kiss became heated. Andy stood beside her, putting his hand at the small of her back. Prue grinned as she leaned back against him.

"Yeah, please do," agreed Paige, "before I'm forced to orb some water onto your heads."

"Everyone, I introduce to you Mrs. Halliwell and Mr. Turner," the Charmed Ones' Grams announced.

"Mrs. Halliwell-Turner," Phoebe automatically corrected. She looked up at her husband, her hands entwined with his, "I told you we'd get our happily ever after."


	11. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Charmed.

**Epilogue**

"They're so adorable, Sweetheart," Patty told her youngest child.

"Aren't they?" Paige grinned, handing three month old Charlotte to her grandmother.

Prue picked up Charlie's twin, Grace, as she agreed with her mother and little sister, "Definitely." She held the baby up for Andy to see. "Aren't they cute?"

He nodded, but didn't miss the longing tone to his girl's voice. He and Prue would never have a sweet little baby of their own.

"I never realized how tiring small children could be until now. It's way different being a mom than it is an aunt. Piper, I don't know how you make it look so easy," Paige sighed as she sat down next to Henry on the couch in Halliwell Manor. The Charmed Ones, their families, Prue, Andy, and the girls' mother were all together in the living room, introducing Paige's little Charlotte and Grace to their grandma and Aunt Prue.

"Magic," Piper smiled. She tried to pull Wyatt onto what was left of her lap, but ended up giving the boy to his father, who was also holding Chris, instead. "And since I've been pregnant with Melinda here, it's greatly increased." Piper was now 7 months along in her pregnancy. The month before, she and Leo had found out the baby was going to be a girl. It seemed they were going to get the child they'd seen when traveling to the future all those years ago, after all. Piper couldn't be happier. She and Leo were finally together with no conflict. She had two precious little boys and a wonderful little girl on the way. She had three wonderful sisters, the oldest who was finally being allowed to visit years after her untimely death. Her parents and Grams were there for her. Demons still existed, but Piper had accepted the fact that she'd never get a completely normal life. The one she had, though, was pretty perfect.

"You're gonna have to let me in on that magic in another six months," Phoebe said from her spot on Cole's lap.

"Oh, you know what it is. Love."

Phoebe twisted around to see her husband's face, looping her arms around his neck, "Well, we've got plenty of that to share, don't we?"

Cole nodded, holding her tighter and placing a hand over Phoebe's stomach on her barely noticeable bump, "Our Little Ladybug will be overwhelmed with love."

"You're not just gonna call her Ladybug, are you? She'd be teased in school like crazy."

"Actually, Prue, we've decided, assuming my premonition is right and our baby _is_ a girl, to name her after you."

"Really?"

At her sister's nod, Prue smiled. "Thanks, Pheebs. You don't know how much that means to me."

"You're welcome. But, it was Cole's idea."

Prue looked stunned. She gaped at her brother-in-law, "_You_?"

"It's no big deal," he shrugged.

"Yes, it is," Prue stated sincerely. "Thank you."

"Oh no, I'm losing my partner in Cole- loathing," Paige complained.

"Nah, I'm always up to harassing that annoyance," Prue grinned toward Cole. He rolled his eyes. Since Prue's visits from 'up there' had begun to get more regular, she and Cole had developed a bantering relationship. They were away from the distrust the telekinetic witch had felt before she'd died.

Henry looked at her. "Are you sure _you_ still belong to that club? Weren't you saying just the other day how grateful you are to Cole?"

"That is because our Gracie has taken to scaring me to death on a daily basis by constantly orbing out. Cole returns her and I am very thankful."

"Yeah, baby's have a thing for me. Especially Grace. She loves her Uncle Cole, always orbing into my arms. I have a hard time explaining to my partners at the firm where she comes from," Cole bragged.

"You're gonna be such a great dad." Phoebe pulled him down for a kiss.

"Don't get all mushy. This is a day to celebrate _my_ children. Can't you keep your hands off each other for a couple hours," Paige teasingly scolded. She wasn't especially thrilled that Grace, and Charlotte, too, liked Cole so much, but they did. And, she had forgiven him and let him have a clean slate as far as she was concerned. She'd even apologized herself, and he'd accepted it. But, he was still so annoying sometimes. She was hoping her kids didn't pick up anything irritating from him.

"Not even for a couple minutes," Phoebe answered, kissing him again. She pulled away soon after. "I'm hungry."

"Ew."

"For food, Paige," Phoebe corrected. "Although, I wouldn't mind my husband, either."

"Ok, seriously, there are kids in the room. And, even if mine are just infants, think of Wyatt and Chris. Piper, help me," Paige begged.

"Uh-uh. Don't put me in the middle."

"She didn't. You and Phoebe were born there," Prue smirked.

"Funny."

"I still want food, people."

"You just ate," Cole glanced at his wife.

"Hello! Pregnant, here! And, it's _your_ fault. I want muffins filled with pickles and raisins."

Paige made a disgusted face, "That sounds even more nauseating than watching you two go at it right here in front of all of us."

"You're just jealous your pregnancy's over, so you can't think of new, delicious foods so easily."

"Yeah, that's it," Paige deadpanned.

"I thought so." Phoebe stood up, pulling Cole with her. "Well?"

Wrapping his arms around her, Cole nodded good-bye to the rest of the family before shimmering himself and Phoebe away.

* * *

"That was great! I think I'm ready for dessert."

Cole looked at her carefully, "Aren't muffins dessert?"

Phoebe shook her head. "Not that kind of dessert," she giggled before crushing his lips with hers.

"Oh, I think I can manage this kind," he broke the kiss, but kept his face no more than a mere centimeter from Phoebe's.

"Good." She gazed into her love's eyes and suddenly became fearful it was all too good to be true. Maybe it was the mood swings of pregnancy, but Phoebe had the sudden need to make sure she wasn't just dreaming up the past seven months. "This is real, right? Us, our baby?"

"Yeah, it is," Cole said as he kissed her forehead, reassuringly.

"Prove it," Phoebe dared, using the same two words she'd said the night of their first kiss in Piper's club, P3, so may years before. "Prove that this isn't some beautiful dream I'm going to wake up from. Prove that you're real. That we really are going to have this forever."

And, as he'd done before, Cole rose to the challenge. He reached down to her, and both felt the utter flawlessness that was their endless love as the lips of a demon and a witch met.

**The End**


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